Tuesday, December 1, 2009

One dish wonder: Taco Salad

With all the eating going on for the holidays, everyday dinners during December should be a bit lighter, but still festive. Last night I brought out one of my mom's proven easy, healthy, tasty dinners from the past to kick-start our Christmas slim-down. It's so easy to make you'll find yourself craving it all the time, plus it can even double as party food. So here it is: Carmina's taco salad.

1 head of iceberg lettuce
3 tomatoes
1 can of red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb ground beef (browned, drained, and cooled)
1 package mix-it-yourself Good Seasons Italian dressing + 1 tablespoon chili powder

Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Set aside and let cool. Chop the lettuce and tomatoes. Place into a large bowl and add kidney beans, cheddar cheese, ground beef and salad dressing. Toss together and serve.

Unhealthy options: Add half a bag of crushed Doritos for extra flavor and crunch.
Healthy options: Slice up some scallions, cilantro or jalapenos for heat.

The Breakdown (c/o the Nutrition Advisor):
Lettuce: Folate, vitamin C, iron, potassium
Tomatoes: Vitamin C, folate, vitamin A, Potassium, Iron, fiber
Red Kidney beans: Folate, Fiber, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Thiamine, Vitamin B6, Zinc
Cheddar cheese: Calcium, Vitamin B12, Riboflavin, Zinc
Ground beef: Zinc, vitamin B12, Niacin, Iron, Riboflavin, B6, Potassium, Magnesium
Italian Dressing: Olive oil!

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